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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22771132">Parellel</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_shirt/pseuds/t_shirt'>t_shirt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Gundam Wing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, sap</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:36:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,520</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22771132</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_shirt/pseuds/t_shirt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When a young soldier is transported to an alternate universe he discovers the answers to the painful confusion in his heart</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>1x2 - Relationship, RxH (unrequited)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Parellel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>1x2/AU<br/>1x2, RxH (unrequited), Badass Relena in AU</p>
<p>Summary: When a young soldier is transported to an alternate universe he discovers the answers to the painful confusion in his heart</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Everything was set. His path was chosen long ago, a well laid plan he still strove to achieve despite the difficulties he had faced. </p>
<p>“Eagle One, you are go for phase one.”</p>
<p>“Roger that,” he replied shoving the unwelcome thoughts from his mind. </p>
<p>For so long he’d fought for the peace that had finally been achieved. They had all made the sacrifices necessary to bring about unity in humankind, but still his heart refused to rest. He looked into the abyss knowing full well he was once again risking his life for the sake of humans and their future only now…</p>
<p>“Hiiro.”</p>
<p>His eyes slid slowly closed around the painful confusion in his heart.</p>
<p>“Be careful,” Relena entreated leaving him feeling as hollow as the black hole that was slowly swallowing his ship. </p>
<p>He knew he should reply and his mind searched for words of comfort, but found only the smiling face of his partner and friend. His eyes clenched tightly against the visions when they melded one into the other bringing back memories of tender caresses and violet eyes clouded with lustful surrender. Duo would be there too, doing his duty to protect the gathering of the Earths’ leaders while they watched him in hopeful anticipation. He would make sure Relena was safe and secure despite the conflict within him. Hiiro knew beyond the shadow of a doubt Duo would give his life for the cause if that’s what it took, but the pain inside him stemmed not from the loss of a possible future with her, but in the fact that Duo would do it for the soul purpose of ensuring Hiiro got a chance at that future. Hiiro’s jaw tightened in frustration when more memories of Duo’s gentle kisses filled his mind. It wasn’t supposed to have happened, he’d never solicited such devotion from his partner, yet somehow they had come to an impasse and he’d fallen headlong into a passionate mire that quickly carried them away. </p>
<p>“O1…correct your lateral drift.” </p>
<p>Damn it! He had to hold it together. There was no room for error in his task, but the sound of Duo’s voice hadn’t helped his disposition. </p>
<p>“Hiiro,” came Relena’s concerned inquiry, but he couldn’t find the words to comfort her. </p>
<p>How could he attempt to sooth her worries now when he’d been unable to confess his transgression? But they weren’t really a couple. He’d made no promises of forever, declared no everlasting bond, yet he knew the same as everyone that had ever seen the love light in Relena’s eyes eternity was what her heart longed for. </p>
<p>Eternity didn’t exist. </p>
<p>“Hiiro!” she cried when the darkness overtook him, but his mind was centered around the only touchstone he’d ever known. </p>
<p>“Duo.”</p>
<p>“Hiiro?”</p>
<p>“What’s going on out there?”</p>
<p>“Hail him.”</p>
<p>“He’s not responding.”</p>
<p>“Eagle One, report!”</p>
<p>Why was everyone so excited? “Standby,” he replied trying to figure out why he was coming out of the darkness instead of going in. </p>
<p>Everything looked all right as his instruments confirmed his position, speed and trajectory only instead of being on an intercept course with the anomaly he was moving away from it. </p>
<p>“What happened?” came Relena’s stern voice, but the concern that was usually there was carefully hidden beneath a commanding tone. </p>
<p>His brow knit at the sound of it because it certainly wasn’t like her to be so forward. </p>
<p>“Unknown,” he confessed finding nothing in his logs that would explain the strange phenomena. </p>
<p>“Return to base, Eagle One,” she ordered further confusing him. </p>
<p>“Hiiro,” Duo softly intoned and again something wavered in his mind. “Are you all right?” he asked in a tone that was openly dripping with affection and made the little hairs on Hiiro’s neck stand on end. </p>
<p>“Affirmative,” he replied feeling strangely alone for some reason. Everyone seemed to be acting so odd. It wasn’t anything he could pinpoint, but there was something different in the tone of their voices and their pattern of speech. </p>
<p>He kept the conversation to a minimum during his return flight hoping to fend off the growing uneasiness, but the closer he got to the ship the more his concerns grew. He knew the moment the ships crew came into view that something was terribly wrong, but couldn’t be certain if it was the people that were amiss or if he’d simply left a portion of his sanity behind. </p>
<p>“Hiiro!” Duo breathed the moment the hatch opened and his bright smile and open arms caused the returning pilot to take a wary step back. “Hiiro?” Duo inquired looking hurt and confused while he looked him over. </p>
<p>It was clear from the strange garb he wore that reality had shifted. Gone were the midnight clothes and calculating eyes of his long time partner. He stood before him dressed in deep purple and gold attire complete with a waist length cloak with a high caller framing his beautifully confused face in which were set eyes so wide open he could read every emotion dancing in their depths. </p>
<p>“01, status.”</p>
<p>The sound of Relena’s stern tone broke him from his reverie, but the sight of her knocked him a full two feet backward. Her eyes hardened suspiciously when he stepped back, her hand partially drawing the golden sword at her hip while she eased closer to Duo’s side. </p>
<p>“Highness,” she softly intoned never taking her clear blue eyes from Hiiro’s stunned face. “Perhaps he has suffered some unforeseen psychosis.” </p>
<p>“Nonsense,” Duo scoffed moving around her and closer to Hiiro. “You’re all right…aren’t you?” he smiled offering his hand. </p>
<p>Hiiro considered it as well as the strange happenings so far and came to one possible conclusion. He was no longer in the universe he had been born in. A parallel dimension perhaps, or maybe he had simply lost his mind. Whatever the circumstance he was there and he still had a mission to complete. It pained him to think of the Duo he knew being lost to him forever and his hand paused in its trek to accept the one being offered, then he gazed into Duo’s eyes and understood. He wasn’t the Duo he knew, but he was most certainly still Duo. </p>
<p>“There,” Duo smiled in great relief when he finally held Hiiro’s hand in his own. “Right as rain.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure you’re well?” Relena asked skeptically watching him very closely while her hand rested on her sword. </p>
<p>“Of course he is,” Duo smiled drawing him closer. </p>
<p>For a moment he froze when he realized he was being pulled past an acceptably sociable distance, but the sudden concern in Duo’s eyes made him rethink pulling away. Relena was watching intently as if awaiting a verdict and didn’t relax until Duo had pressed a small kiss to his lips. </p>
<p>“Come on,” Duo smiled tugging him along. “Everyone’s waiting to hear your report.”</p>
<p>It was as if the world had been turned on its end. Everything was so completely different, but it was all the same. There was Duo, but he was no longer the war orphan/Gundam pilot Hiiro had come to know. Then there was Relena. She walked a half step behind them, her stride strong and sure and her sharp eyes taking in every aspect of their surroundings. It was the strangest thing he’d ever seen to behold the pacifist leader of his world clothed in light armor and bearing a sword at her side. </p>
<p>The sword set his mind to turning. The beings in this reality were obviously possessed of a higher technology. The ship he’d landed in was an exact replica of the one he had launched. His pistol still lay hidden in its holster along his waistband and the guards, though they were dressed quite differently in half capes and tall boots, carried riffles and side arms so why was Relena armed with such an archaic weapon? </p>
<p>“Something’s wrong,” Relena quietly intoned at Duo’s ear while she scrutinized the way Hiiro walked by his side. </p>
<p>“Give him a chance to explain,” Duo insisted stepping a little closer to Hiiro’s side, but the way he instinctively eased away made his brow wrinkle in concern. </p>
<p>He was led to the debriefing room, which was in the same location as in his dimension, but the people gathered there had shifted disturbingly. Une, who was his current commander and a cold, calculating force in his mind was dressed in a transparent rose veil that draped her shapely shoulders and accented the low neck dress beneath. He had expected to give his report to her, but under the circumstances it seemed more likely that he would be required to address the tall man she was currently hiding behind. Treize didn’t look all that different in the fine cut livery he wore, but the fact that he was a welcome member of the assembly whereas in his world he was an outcast and renegade set him ill at ease. </p>
<p>“What’s wrong?” Duo asked laying a comforting hand on his shoulder while he glared at the room at large, but he couldn’t help jerking away. The action caused a tension in the assembly and a dark confusion in Duo’s eyes that begged an explanation, so he squared his shoulders and prepared his report in his mind while Duo coaxed, “Tell us what you saw.”</p>
<p>“I believe the anomaly is a doorway to another universe,” he explained garnering the expected amazement. </p>
<p>“That’s an outlandish assumption,” Relena snipped suspiciously, but Treize cut her off with…</p>
<p>“What evidence is there to support your claim?”</p>
<p>Hiiro’s jaw clenched with the need to withhold information from a man he was more accustomed to trying to arrest, but these people obviously trusted him so he confessed, “Because, none of you are how you should be in my mind.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Duo asked clearly thunderstruck while he clutched a hand to his chest and backed away. </p>
<p>Hiiro was mildly alarmed by the ashen quality of his skin, but felt the need to be honest about the situation. “In my world,” he began regretting the need to explain more by the moment as Duo’s breath stilled, “You are a soldier.” Duo shuddered and tucked into Une’s waiting arms, which was so out of character for him Hiiro was inspired to pause before he went on. “Une is my Commander in Chief.” Her eyes went wide and shifted anxiously to Treize who looked down his regal nose at her in a way that was apparently meant to comfort. “And you,” Hiiro persisted addressing Treize. “Are number one on the Alliance most wanted list.”</p>
<p>“Trieze!?” Une gasped. </p>
<p>“That’s a lie!” Relena growled as her sword sang free, but before she could land a blow Hiiro’s pistol was less than in inch from her brow. </p>
<p>“Stop!” Duo cried in barely controlled anguish as he barreled forward and forced himself between them. “This is ridiculous. Hiiro, please,” he entreated demanding his undivided attention while he held his shoulders and looked imploringly into his angry eyes. “Come, on. You know me,” he sniffed growing more upset when Hiiro simply glared at him. “You know me,” he insisted taking his face in his hands while he tried to kiss him, but Hiiro pulled away and pushed him back.</p>
<p>The pain of it was evident in his eyes and he wished he could go back and make it all right somehow, but the truth was, “You’re not the person I know.”</p>
<p>Duo’s expression was such that Hiiro couldn’t bear to look at him and turned away while Relena surmised, “He’s lost his mind.”</p>
<p>“Or he’s telling the truth,” Treize countered. </p>
<p>“Really?” Relena scoffed sheathing her weapon and leaning cockily on one leg. “Then, prey tell me,” she sneered at Hiiro. “Who am I in this alternate universe of yours?”</p>
<p>Hiiro made a point not to look directly at Duo who was still staring at him as if he were a ghost when he revealed, “You are..." How to put it without seeming offensive to the current sovereign, "...royalty.”</p>
<p>“What!?” she exclaimed amusedly, then informed him, “You’ve seriously got your wires crossed.”</p>
<p>“So it would seem,” Hiiro sighed daring a glance at Duo, but he was so distraught all he managed was to slowly sink into a chair. </p>
<p>“It’ll be all right,” Une soothed. “We’ll get him back.”</p>
<p>Duo’s gaze shifted imploringly to Treize and though there was concern in his eyes his first order of business was, “We will need a full report on the mission from your point of view.”</p>
<p>“What about Hiiro?” Duo asked so desperately Hiiro took a mental step back. His behavior was so bazaar he was beginning to feel as if he’d fallen down a rabbit hole. </p>
<p>“We must analyze what happened,” Treize explained. </p>
<p>“But you’ll bring him back!” Duo breathed excitedly while Une took him by the shoulders to calm him. </p>
<p>“He’ll be fine,” Relena snipped stepping closer to Hiiro where they glared at each other and she smiled, “He’s resourceful and cunning.”</p>
<p>“We have to figure out how before we can retrieve him,” Une reasoned supportively. </p>
<p>“Send him back,” Duo suggested hopefully. </p>
<p>“That wouldn’t necessarily bring your mate back,” Treize reasoned and Hiiro’s ears flared red while he gasped audibly and backed away, which caused such pain and confusion in Duo’s eyes he couldn’t quite get a grip. “They passed through at the same time, which indicates it would only be possible if it happened in the exact same way. We have no way of knowing what’s happening on the other side.”</p>
<p>“We could loose them both,” Relena stated. </p>
<p>“Don’t fret,” Une smiled kindly throwing Hiiro even more off balance. “That scalawag of yours has never let you down before. I’m sure he won’t start now.”</p>
<p>“What can we do?” Duo asked despondently.</p>
<p>“We’ll start by picking this ones brain,” Relena stated standing proudly before their unlikely guest. “Guards!”</p>
<p>“You don’t mean to imprison him!?” Duo gasped when two guards answered the call and flanked Hiiro. </p>
<p>“He is not the Hiiro we know,” Relena reminded him. </p>
<p>“But he’s still Hiiro!”  Duo snapped. </p>
<p>“He is not your lover!” Relena stated firmly shoring up the ashen quality of Duo’s skin while Hiiro’s brow creased indignantly. </p>
<p>He understood the need for honesty, but didn’t feel she had to be so brutal about it. “You have nothing to fear from me,” he assured them. “It is my first priority to return to my own world. You have my full cooperation.”</p>
<p>“I’ll not have him caged,” Duo stated firmly while he looked determinedly into Hiiro’s eyes. </p>
<p>“Very well,” Treize agreed and Relena huffed her indignation. “But he should be accompanied at all times,” he amended giving the guards their silent orders with a glance. </p>
<p>“Follow me,” Relena ordered turning on her booted heal, but Hiiro paused beside Duo on the way out and offered a quite…</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” that made his eyes widen momentarily, then he calmed and nodded sadly as they left. </p>
<p>He was taken to an interrogation room he often used to question suspects in his own universe and spent the next seventeen hours detailing the events that had brought him there. It was clear these people utilized much of he same technology he was familiar with, but they had found some very alternative ways of applying it. Hiiro worked out while he outlined the events of his mission that the odd crystals that seemed so popular in the jewelry everyone was wearing weren’t there for their aesthetic value alone. They somehow made it possible for them to communicate when they touched them just right. The sword that hung from Relena’s side was no ordinary blade either. There were ruins on the sheath that reminded Hiiro of the pathways of a circuit board though he couldn’t deduce what they meant and she grew angrier every time she saw him studying the weapon. </p>
<p>“We already know all this!” she snapped having grown tired and frustrated with Hiiro’s lack of information about the details of his world’s technology. “How did you open the gate?!” she demanded resting her hand on the hilt of her sword. </p>
<p>“We didn’t,” Hiiro repeated the same answer he’d given all night. </p>
<p>“It just appeared in the blackness of space?!” she asked sardonically. </p>
<p>“That is what happened here,” Une gently reminded her causing her to sulk mightily. </p>
<p>“I believe we’ve collected as much information as we need for the moment,” Treize interjected. </p>
<p>“But he hasn’t told us anything we didn’t already know!” Relena objected hotly. </p>
<p>“Which confirms that the events in his world closely paralleled what transpired here,” Treize reasoned. “We will adjourn to rest and analyze what information we have.”</p>
<p>“Fine,” she snipped growling, “Let’s go,” as she reached for Hiiro’s arm, but he was no longer there. Her eyes narrowed hatefully and he was momentarily taken aback by the depth of her disdain being more accustomed to the simpering adoration of her alternate ego and just barely evaded getting his head taken off by her glowering blade. </p>
<p>“Stand down!” Treize barked as she swung again, but Hiiro twisted and came up with the sword in hand while he pushed her face first into the wall and held the blade to the back of her neck. “Release her,” Treize demanded firmly, but cautiously and Hiiro slowly backed off until she could turn to face him. </p>
<p>“Relena,” Une breathed clearly shocked by her behavior and she took a moment to flash a remorseful glance around the room before snatching her weapon out of Hiiro’s hand and storming out. “I’m sorry,” Une offered to Hiiro, but he was still staring at where Relena had gone. </p>
<p>“We can offer you comfortable accommodations,” Treize interjected noting the arrival of two guards, one of whom Hiiro stared at for a moment. “But your movements will be restricted for the moment.”</p>
<p>“I understand,” Hiiro nodded glancing again at the tall guard who was offering him the way out the door. </p>
<p>He was led to C-Deck, which was apparently being used as guest quarters for visitors to the mother ship instead of the recreation area he was accustomed to and shown a small cabin, but before he could enter he caught sight of a flash of purple out of the corner of his eye. When he paused to look he saw Duo peeking shyly around a corner and felt a slow pain pierce his chest. He was peering so uncertainly from the safety of his shelter with eyes that openly longed for something his soul had recently drowned in, but there was nothing of the fire that had sparked in his eyes on that fateful night. He was timid and shy, so unsure and vulnerable it made his stomach hurt to look upon him because as much as he looked the part there was nothing of his friend and partner standing in that hall. </p>
<p>“Move along,” the tall guy he had recognized insisted, but he didn’t see any point in revealing that he knew his name. He wasn’t the same person he knew in his world, but he still couldn’t help wondering what his role in all this was. </p>
<p>His cabin was small, but adequate with a tiny lavatory along one end, a food synthesizer and a bunk, but it lacked what he craved most as there was no terminal or access to outside information whatsoever. All he had was what was already in his head, so he sat down to contemplate and analyze the information. It was still unclear how or why the gate had brought him there, but the assumption that he and his alternate self had somehow opened the gate by enacting the same action at exactly the same time held merit. There is a set amount of matter in the universe and many who studied the possibility of alternate worlds believed that if travel between them were possible it would only work with equal exchange. Bringing something into one universe without leaving the same in the other would cause the ultimate destruction of both, or so it was hypothesized. Considering the events of his arrival he couldn’t help believing that it was the simultaneous actions on both sides that made it possible, but there was no way to be sure if the events in his world were still paralleling the ones taking place around him. It made him wonder about his other self while he thought of how very different everyone else was and the concern that if he was some sort of…scalawag had Une called him?...he might not have been as well received. </p>
<p>“Yes?” he responded to the knock on his door while he diligently worked on the problem, but his thoughts were scattered when Duo was revealed on the other side. </p>
<p>“Hi,” he smiled looking the small cabin over. Hiiro merely watched him and held his tongue when he shyly asked, “May I come in?” Images of passion bright, violet eyes and lips so eagerly demanding washed across his mind, then the memory of Relena’s hopeful expression and his eyes slowly closed on the vision. “I’m sorry to intrude,” Duo offered smiling uncertainly while he took a seat on the small stool attached to the wall. He paused when Hiiro opened his eyes and he saw the longing in his violet gaze before he looked away and chuckled unsteadily. “I’m sorry,” he offered again. “It’s just…you look so much like him.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry for your loss,” Hiiro told him evenly. </p>
<p>“I haven’t lost him yet,” Duo smiled stubbornly and Hiiro saw a flicker of something familiar in his eyes. “But I wonder,” he went on cautiously. “Do you think he’s alright?”</p>
<p>“If he is intelligent and cooperative he should be fine.”</p>
<p>It wasn’t the answer Duo was looking for apparently because his brow knit with worry and he started ringing his hands. It looked so odd to see someone as sure and steady as his Duo behaving in such a way Hiiro was inspired to shift uncomfortably on the bed.</p>
<p>“Is something wrong?” he asked growing curious over what might be happening on the other side. </p>
<p>Duo considered him for a moment, then sighed and relaxed which allowed his cloak to slip off his shoulder and reveal the creamy skin beneath, which Hiiro was unable to keep himself from glancing at before Duo smiled. “You certainly don’t act like him, though,” he laughed. </p>
<p>“What’s he like?” Hiiro asked hoping to get some idea of what his people were dealing with. </p>
<p>“Well,” Duo grinned leaning back so that his cloak fell open to reveal the length of his sultry body and Hiiro was inspired to memorize the tantalizing configuration of his snug attire. “If he were here I’d be on my back by now.” Hiiro’s ears pinked while he forced his gaze away and Duo chuckled, but the amusement faded when he sat forward. “He’s a passionate man,” he told him softly missing how the comment colored Hiiro’s cheeks. “But I’m afraid he’s a bit of a hot head. I just wish I knew if he was alright,” he grumbled in frustration. </p>
<p>“Would he surrender?” Hiiro wondered, but was not set at ease when Duo sighed heavily and replied…</p>
<p>“I don’t know.”</p>
<p>Hiiro saw the worry lines appear on his brow and felt sympathy for his position when he thought about his own worry for his friends. “They won’t harm him,” he assured him brightening his spirits somewhat. “It’s fairly obvious if we are to remedy this situation and return us to our rightful places we’ll need both of us to manage it.”</p>
<p>“Are your people that loyal to you?” Duo wondered. </p>
<p>Hiiro thought about how distraught Relena must be and the strong determination in Duo’s heart and confidently replied, “They will come for me.”</p>
<p>This appeared to please his company enough that he cocked his head in a way that sent those damnable butterflies fluttering around in Hiiro’s stomach while he asked, “Are you hungry?”</p>
<p>“Shouldn’t you be resting?” he asked cursing the memory of how sweet Duo’s skin had tasted. </p>
<p>“I can’t close my eyes,” he explained sadly, but then smiled. “Come eat with me. At the very least you can see how we differ from your kind in the daily hum drum.”</p>
<p>More information was appealing. “All right.”</p>
<p>“Highness?” the shorter of the guards at the door questioned when he led Hiiro into the hall. “What’re…?”</p>
<p>“I wish to take a meal with this man,” he informed them with an air of expectance Hiiro was more used to hearing from Relena. “You may accompany us, but keep your distance.” </p>
<p>“Yes, Sire,” the guard agreed looking uncertainly to his peer, but he merely stood quietly and followed along. </p>
<p>Hiiro kept a fairly close eye on the tall one as he was the alternate persona of one of his best friends back home. Trowa had once been a member of a mercenary team that caused a great deal of trouble for the Alliance at one time, but when his leader ordered him to attack a school full of children he turned on them and wipe out the entire force. He was injured in the fight and lost his memory for a time in which he was welcomed as a citizen of Sanc where is natural abilities quickly granted him a top position in the local police force. Hiiro had worked closely with him on many occasions and helped bring him in when his memories returned and he almost wiped out the ocean side of the city, but once under control he managed to put it all together and requested a position in the Alliance military where he had performed outstandingly well at Hiiro’s side. </p>
<p>“Do you know him?” Duo asked while they ate at a high table overlooking a common room of the ships huge galley. </p>
<p>“Hn?” Hiiro hummed noting that the wine was somewhat sweeter than in his world. </p>
<p>“That guard,” Duo indicated and Hiiro glanced at the face that had once belonged to one of his best friends. “You keep looking at him.”</p>
<p>Hiiro considered him for a moment, then turned his attention back to his meal while he replied, “No. He’s someone else in my world.”</p>
<p>Duo paused to think about that, then commented, “It must be hard on you.”</p>
<p>“No harder than it is on you,” Hiiro countered and Duo’s eyes widened with comprehension before he settled and smiled. </p>
<p>“You’re very kind,” he observed. </p>
<p>“I hope at least that much is familiar,” Hiiro replied hoping his ‘passionate scalawag’ of a ‘hot headed’ counterpart wasn’t causing too much trouble. </p>
<p>“His kindness is often carefully concealed,” Duo laughed, but the comment didn’t seem funny to Hiiro. “But he loves me.”</p>
<p>Hiiro thought back to the way Relena always behaved as if their destiny was written in the stars and couldn’t help his curiosity. “How can you be so sure?”</p>
<p>“Well,” Duo chuckled allowing their server to remove his plate. “We’ve been lovers for over two years,” he grinned. </p>
<p>Hiiro’s gaze wandered to the viewport while he wondered, “Does sleeping with someone really mean you’re in love with them?”</p>
<p>Duo’s brow creased while he sat forward and declared, “I believe he would die for me.”</p>
<p>Again, Relena’s face flashed in his mind, but he couldn’t bury the fact that though it was true he would lay down his life for her it had little to do with his personal feelings. He was fond of her, but in reality she was the sovereign of their kingdom and it was his duty to protect and serve the crown. </p>
<p>Duo’s mouth curled knowingly while he watched him think, then he commented. “You’ve left someone behind.”</p>
<p>His first reaction was to balk at the notion, but then his mind settled squarely on Duo’s face. “Our world is governed by a monarchy,” he confessed. </p>
<p>“Much like our own,” Duo smiled and Hiiro nodded while noting his royal attire. </p>
<p>“Except that in my world the sovereign is a girl.”</p>
<p>“A princess?” Duo gasped sitting back and looking properly horrified. </p>
<p>“Yes,” Hiiro confirmed, then braced himself when he revealed, “Her name…is Relena.”</p>
<p>Duo sat motionless for a moment, then laughed right out loud, which called the attention of most everyone in the galley. It wasn’t until he caught the incredulous expression in Hiiro’s eyes that he finally got control of it and offered an amused, “Sorry. It’s just…Relena?”</p>
<p>“She is quite a different person in my world,” Hiiro explained defensively. </p>
<p>“She would have to be,” Duo chuckled relenting when Hiiro scowled. “Relena comes from a long line of proud warriors,” he explained. “So it’s very amusing to think of her in a station like my own.”</p>
<p>“She is a pacifist in my world.”</p>
<p>Duo hid the laugh behind his hand, but couldn’t contain it completely. </p>
<p>“And she’s in love with me.”</p>
<p>The room stopped to stare again when Duo laughed so hard he almost fell out of his chair. “S…sorry,” he chuckled while he fought to get it back under control, but he lost it again when he revealed, “But she hates you.” Hiiro was not amused. “Well, not you I suppose, but my Hiiro has always been on her least favorites list.”</p>
<p>“Why?” Hiiro wondered curious about something that would cause the warrior girl concern. </p>
<p>“She thinks he’s arrogant and reckless,” Duo explained dismissively, but the information gave Hiiro an uneasy feeling. “But I think it’s more because he’s stronger than her to be honest.”</p>
<p>That might explain why she attacked him, but the animosity itself was difficult to understand. He wasn’t the same person after all, but his ponderings were interrupted when the subject of their conversation strode purposefully across the floor. </p>
<p>“What is he doing here!?” she demanded taking the steps to Duo’s high table two at a time while the three men in her wake hurried to keep up. </p>
<p>“He is here at my request,” Duo sighed. </p>
<p>“He should be in his cabin!” she snapped indicating the guards should return him there, but they backed off when Duo waved them away. </p>
<p>“We’re not finished eating,” he explained. </p>
<p>“He’s coercing you!” she spate. </p>
<p>“None of this was his idea,” Duo countered sternly and Hiiro saw that familiar spark in his eyes again. </p>
<p>“Your Highness,” Relena reasoned coming closer. “You must understand that he isn’t the man you knew.”</p>
<p>“I’m well aware of who he is,” Duo insisted. </p>
<p>“This is not a situation in which we can patronize your whims,” she countered firmly. </p>
<p>“It’s alright,” Hiiro interjected before Duo could respond. </p>
<p>“No, it’s not,” Duo argued turning back to the girl. “He’s not a prisoner.”</p>
<p>“He should be!” she snapped. “We don’t know anything about him or why he’s really here. They might have opened that gate on purpose in order to infiltrate or attack us.”</p>
<p>“You’re being paranoid,” Duo sighed. </p>
<p>“Call it what you will,” she replied in a deadly even tone. “But it is by my hand alone that you sit in that chair and I’ll not have you sacrifice yourself or the lives of these people simply because that buffoon isn’t here to warm your bed!”</p>
<p>“I’ll go,” Hiiro interjected firmly laying a comforting hand on Duo’s arm as her comments had almost brought tears to his eyes. “It’s all right,” he soothed standing to join the guards. “Thank you for dinner.”</p>
<p>“Wait,” Duo sniffed stubbornly standing by his side while he glared at Relena and obstinately declared, “I’m coming with you.”</p>
<p>“Return to your quarters,” Relena insisted, but his only answer was to take Hiiro by the arm and lead him away. “Stay close to them,” she ordered the guards. “And see that he doesn’t sweet talk any national secrets out of him!”</p>
<p>Hiiro was almost inspired to laugh at the frustration in her tone, but Duo didn’t look at all happy about the confrontation so he buried it deep. He realized quickly that they weren’t headed back to his cabin either, but when the guards attempted to question him about it he glared in such a way that they shut up and simply followed along. The hall they ended up in was where Relena’s quarters were located in his world, so he wasn’t that surprised when it turned out to be Duo’s. </p>
<p>“Highness?” one of the guards inquired hesitantly when he stopped after entering and turned toward the door, but all he got for his trouble was it slammed in his face. </p>
<p>“Won’t she be angry?” Hiiro inquired while Duo huffed about, but when he dropped his cloak he couldn’t help turning his head. </p>
<p>Duo caught the action, but was too angry to comment on it at the time as he draped the heavy material over the back of a plush couch and headed for the bar. “She’s much too willful sometimes,” he stated as he poured himself a brandy. </p>
<p>“What did she mean?” Hiiro wondered easing backward when Duo stepped in front of him and offered him a drink. </p>
<p>“About what?” Duo asked plopping into the couch with his tumbler. </p>
<p>“Are you here because of something she did?” Hiiro asked perching cautiously on the arm of a chair. </p>
<p>Duo’s smile curled slowly on the ends and Hiiro felt himself swallow when heated memories of how sinfully good it had felt to hold him flooded his mind as he leaned back and slowly spread his long legs. “She is my protector,” Duo explained amusedly while Hiiro’s ears turned red and he looked away. “There have been several times she has saved my life, but that doesn’t give her the right to undermine my authority.”</p>
<p>Hiiro nodded though he wasn’t really all that interested in the conversation anymore as he did his best to banish the visions from his mind. It should never have happened, there were rules against it and Relena was so sure, but…he glanced over his shoulder and wondered if the Duo he knew paraded around in clothes like that would it have taken so long for him to break down and claim him body and soul? And how was he ever going to explain it to her?</p>
<p>“You like him,” Duo smiled from behind his glass. </p>
<p>“What?” was Hiiro’s intelligent reply. </p>
<p>“Are you lovers?” Duo asked casually and Hiiro hit his drink so hard he emptied the glass. </p>
<p>“No,” he replied though he wasn’t sure if it was a lie. They had made love, but did that make them lovers? It was only once and…</p>
<p>“But you want him,” Duo grinned knowingly and Hiiro decided to take a seat. “Does she know?” was his next question. </p>
<p>“No,” Hiiro replied sadly trying once again to find the words to tell her, but nothing would come clear. </p>
<p>However, Duo’s coy inquiry of, “Does he?” brought about an entirely different train of thought. It was clear from his expression what was on his mind from the way his companion smiled cleverly and commented, “So the fates favor us in both worlds.”</p>
<p>Hiiro sighed heavily, but couldn’t deny the deep feelings his night with Duo had brought to light. It made him feel like such a fool for having allowed Relena’s affection to grow and flourish until she was certain they would one day wed. They’d never even been on a date, but everyone just automatically assumed they would marry because he’d never done anything to counter the idea. For so long he’d simply waited patiently for some feeling to stir, but when it did it wasn’t the princess that made his heart race. </p>
<p>“You should tell her,” Duo softly intoned and Hiiro nearly came right out of his chair because he was standing right behind him leaning down close to his ear. Duo chuckled while he tried to catch his breath and took advantage of his momentary lapse to curl around and land in his lap. </p>
<p>“What’re you doing?” Hiiro squeaked, but couldn’t stand up without dumping him on the floor. </p>
<p>“If my Hiiro were here,” Duo smiled running his fingers down Hiiro’s cheek as he moved closer. “He’d kiss me right now.”</p>
<p>He could feel the heat of that same flame that had burned him so hotly only a short time ago, but when Duo’s sweet lips came into contact with his he pulled away and reminded him. “I’m not your Hiiro.” Duo looked mortified, but allowed him to stand him on his feet where he pushed his hands down to his sides and looked him in the eye when he explained, “And you’re not Duo.”</p>
<p>He was at the door before Duo’s soft plea was heard and he stopped when he called his name. “Please,” Duo rasped through tears he refused to turn and reveal. “Please, bring him back.”</p>
<p>Hiiro held his tongue while he watched him crumble to the floor and weep and knew in his heart he was making a promise to his partner and friend when he vowed, “I will.”</p>
<p>The guards seemed more than a little relieved when they made it back to Hiiro’s cabin without incident, but it was curious that Trowa’s counterpart was not with them. Hiiro thought perhaps they had switched shifts while he was visiting with Duo and tried to put it all out of his mind and get some rest. He’d been up for over thirty hours and welcomed the sweet serenity of sleep, but was wakened only a short time later when he heard claxon alarms going off outside. </p>
<p>“What’s going on?” he asked when he opened the door and discovered there was only one guard and he looked haired and scared. </p>
<p>“I don’t know,” he replied revealing his inexperience with his profession. </p>
<p>*INTRUDER* came over the speakers and Hiiro snatched up the first soldier that scurried by his door.</p>
<p>“What’s happened!?” he demanded fearing something had gone wrong with the gate. </p>
<p>“They’ve taken him!” the soldier stammered looking more nervous by the moment while he gazed into his blue eyes. </p>
<p>“Who?” Hiiro growled growing impatient with him. </p>
<p>“The prince,” he chirped, then curled into a ball as if afraid of being thrashed. </p>
<p>“Duo?” Hiiro breathed backing away in shock. “Who?”</p>
<p>“Hiiro!” another soldier shouted rushing to a halt nearby. “Come on! They’ve taken Duo!”</p>
<p>“Who has!?” Hiiro demanded moving swiftly that way. </p>
<p>“Rebel spies,” the soldier informed him and Hiiro tried to work it out, but there wasn’t enough information. </p>
<p>One thing was sure though, if Duo was in trouble he was going to help, so he followed along and discovered many of he people around him were not privy to his alternate standing as they treated him as if he were the Hiiro from their world. This made it much easier to get things done and by the time Treize and the others were aware he was on board a scout ship that was closing in on a shuttle that was moving at a rapid pace toward the gate. </p>
<p>“What are you doing!?” Relena shouted over the com when her image came to life on the screen. “Stop that ship at once! That man isn’t who you think he is!”</p>
<p>“We can’t let them take him through the gate!” Hiiro shouted bouncing a man that had tried to power down the engines out of the way. </p>
<p>“Stop him!” Relena growled. “I’ll get the shuttle!” she insisted ordering her men to open the engines of her patrol ship all the way. </p>
<p>“There isn’t time!” Hiiro countered standing guard over the ships thruster system while he guided them toward the shuttle at top speed. </p>
<p>There was a scuffle that put the fire of determination in Relena’s eyes, but her ship wasn’t fast enough to catch up before the shuttle entered the gate and she stood gaping in utter relief when Hiiro’s scout ship rammed into its side and knocked it off course enough that it missed the target. </p>
<p>“Duo!” she shouted into the comm., but there was no reply. A moment later her eyes went wide when a hatch on the scout ship blew off and Hiiro rocketed toward the shuttle with a large jet pack strapped to the back of his pressure suit and she didn’t breathe again until Hiiro’s face flickered to life on her screen. </p>
<p>“He’s safe,” he breathed seeming unable to catch his breath while Duo clung to him and cried. </p>
<p> “Bring him home,” she ordered, then cut the comm. and Duo wailed even harder. </p>
<p>“Shhh,” Hiiro consoled recalling several times during his career when he’d had to comfort Relena in the same way. “You’re safe.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Duo choked.</p>
<p>“It’s all right now.”</p>
<p>“They said…they said they would take me to him.”</p>
<p>Hiiro’s mouth thinned when he thought about the stupidity of the men lying unconscious on the floor and pulled his charge tight and it hurt in a way he couldn’t describe to see Trowa’s face among them. “It doesn’t work that way,” he told him pushing him back to wipe his eyes. “It’s an even exchange. If you had gone through the gate it might have destroyed both our worlds.”</p>
<p>Duo’s eyes went wide with horror for a moment before he crumbled in Hiiro’s arms again and cried, “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“It’s all right now,” Hiiro sighed. “You didn’t know.”</p>
<p>“I could have killed us all,” Duo wept and Hiiro longed for the steadfast strength he had come to take for granted from his partner. </p>
<p>He held him a moment while he calmed, then started when a sound erupted all around them. A moment later Relena screamed in absolute rage when the stars themselves seemed to ripple and shake as they swallowed them ship and all. </p>
<p>“DUO!!!!”</p>
<p>“What happened?” Hiiro inquired when the sound and motion stilled, but something felt horribly wrong. </p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Duo replied looking about fearfully. </p>
<p>“Stay here,” Hiiro instructed having to lay a soothing hand on him to get him to comply while he went to the viewport to see what was going on, but what he saw outside brought sheer terror to his heart. </p>
<p>“What is it?” Duo breathed having sensed his anxiety, but he appeared unable to answer, so he drew himself to his feet and cautiously approached falling ever deeper into despair when he saw the interior landscape of a mammoth ship outside their hull and breathed, “Aquarius.”</p>
<p>“What?” Hiiro gasped looking more than a little alarmed. The ship was a fable in his world, but the tales that surrounded it were froth with danger and adventure giving credit to the ghost ship for innumerable disappearances over the ages. </p>
<p>“We have to get out of here,” Duo gasped heading for the hatch. </p>
<p>“Wait! Duo!” Hiiro countered pulling him physically away. “What is this? What’s happened?”</p>
<p>“We have to get out of here!” Duo insisted. “They show no mercy! They’ll take what they want, then kills us!”</p>
<p>“Calm down,” Hiiro soothed looking around for another way out, but when he glanced out the porthole there were small surface skimmers approaching. “Come on!” he told him taking him by the wrist as he pulled him toward the back of the ship where he set about opening one of the torpedo shoots. </p>
<p>“What’re you doing?” Duo asked fidgeting nervously as sounds echoed outside. </p>
<p>“Get in,” Hiiro instructed and he balked, but climbed in when the hatch clanked loudly. </p>
<p>“What about…?” was all he got out before the hatch closed and he held his breath while the sounds of movement filled the ship. </p>
<p>There were people moving about and the muffled sound of them talking over the air waves, but from the sound of it they didn’t find anything and suddenly disappeared in search of their wayward captives. Duo could hear every beat of his heart while he lay in the darkness with his hand cupped to his mouth and felt as if hours had passed by before he jumped hard enough to nearly wet himself when the hatch suddenly opened. </p>
<p>“Hiiro!” he gasped allowing him to pull him free. </p>
<p>“They won’t be fooled for long,” Hiiro explained taking him by the hand. “Stay close and be as quiet as you can,” he told him easing the hatch open until he saw the top of someone’s head and laid his finger to his lips to encourage the instruction as he slipped silently outside. A moment later the guard disappeared and Hiiro motioned for him to follow, so he climbed down and fell into step behind him while he led them as far away from the search area as possible. </p>
<p>It was so odd, but there seemed to be an entire city of abandoned debris littering the interior walls of the ship, which made it easier to stay hidden, but didn’t reveal much about their current situation. He didn’t dare speak to Duo about it until they were well away from the ship and buried deep in a ruin where the search lights from the skimmers couldn’t reach them. </p>
<p>“Who are they?” Hiiro wondered while he watched one of the skimmers search a tall pile of old mobile suit housings in the distance. </p>
<p>“Scaves,” Duo sighed, then peered up at him from where he sat on the crusty floor. “Aren’t there any in your world?”</p>
<p>“This ship is a fairytale where I come from,” Hiiro explained. </p>
<p>“Lucky you,” Duo grumbled. </p>
<p> “What is their nature?” </p>
<p>“Greedy little scaves is all they are,” Duo scoffed. “They run cloaked so they can sneak up on their prey and take them unaware. Then they take what they want and leave nothing behind.” Hiiro’s eyes shifted to take in the savory clothes he was wearing and he laughed shakily while he informed him, “If they catch us there won’t be enough of me left to carry home in your pocket.”</p>
<p>“You’re the ruler here,” Hiiro reasoned hoping to reassure him. “You’re more valuable to them alive.”</p>
<p>“Oh, they’ll ransom me,” Duo chuckled, but it ended in something more of a sob. “They’ll send video of me being gang raped to the high council.” Hiiro’s eyes hardened angrily, but it didn’t stop him from elaborating, “And when they get their payment they’ll finish the job and jettison my body into the first star they go by.”</p>
<p>“How do you know this?” Hiiro breathed having difficulty believing such a thing. </p>
<p>“It’s happened before,” Duo groaned dejectedly. </p>
<p>“To who?” Hiiro asked numbly, but he was wholly unprepared when Duo revealed…</p>
<p>“Relena’s parents.”</p>
<p>“You saw it?” </p>
<p>“Everyone saw it,” Duo sniffed. “They broadcast it on every feed in the known universe.”</p>
<p>Hiiro made a mental note to investigate the possibility that the Aquarius might be real in his world and tried to change the subject. “What’s with this ship?” he asked looking around at the odd collection of buildings, ship hulls and bits of junk. </p>
<p>“It’s the remnants of their victims,” Duo explained. “They’ve used a warp device to disrupt the fabric of space and draw us into their lair just like all these poor people.”</p>
<p>Hiiro looked out at the vast expanse of the jagged landscape and felt his heart go cold. “What type of scout ships do they use?”</p>
<p>“They don’t,” Duo laughed unsteadily. “The only way out is the way we came in.”</p>
<p>“You’re sure?” Hiiro asked, but was met with a steadfast…</p>
<p>“Yes. Hiiro schooled me on the subject in case I ever…” but he let the thought trail off while tears filled his eyes and he sobbed, “I wish he was here.”</p>
<p>Hiiro was in agreement with him on that one since his lover was familiar with the situation and he was essentially flying blind. All he had was what little information Duo could provide and that wasn’t proving to be very useful. The ship was massive on top of that and there seemed to be nothing in the ruins but rubble, which meant they needed to keep moving if they were going to survive. They needed to find a way out, but he had no idea how long that might take, so they also needed to find a source of water and food. </p>
<p>“Stay here,” he instructed before disappearing into the dark. </p>
<p>Duo watched from the shadows until one of the skimmers drifted their way causing him to hide deeper in the ruin, then it suddenly disappeared. A moment later it was back and Duo nearly had a stroke when it sped right at him. He was trying to squeeze through a small crack in the wall when Hiiro called to him and held out his hand. </p>
<p>“You scared me,” Duo informed him while he stepped on the skimmer behind him. </p>
<p>“Sorry,” Hiiro offered. “But we need to keep moving.”</p>
<p>“You’re like him in some ways,” Duo told him as they moved silently along in the shadows. </p>
<p>“How’s that?” Hiiro inquired hoping to distract him from their predicament. </p>
<p>“You’re strong.”</p>
<p>“We’ll be all right,” Hiiro soothed gripping his leg while he eased to a stop behind a piece of wall that offered a safe place to have a look at the enormous sphere that hung in the center of the ship. “Do you know what that is?” </p>
<p>“The hub,” Duo replied. “Hiiro said it’s where the leaders would be.”</p>
<p>“I want to have a look.”</p>
<p>“What?!” Duo gasped trying to cling to him when he set him on the ground. “No! They’ll kill you!”</p>
<p>“I’ll be all right,” Hiiro assured him. “Just stay here. I’ll be back in a little while.”</p>
<p>“Hiiro!”</p>
<p>He was pleased when he looked back and saw his charge hiding himself deep in a shadow, then wrapped the tattered scarf he’d taken off the scout around his head and drifted toward the sphere. It was huge in its own right and must have housed a hundred thousand people, which made Hiiro wonder what the whole of the population might be. His chest tightened when he came close enough to the windows to see the people inside because they looked like something out of a B movie. Everyone was dressed in the same rags he’d seen on the scout and there was a fight in every other window. It looked like they were nothing more than barbarians feeding off what they could take and giving nothing back. His worse fears were confirmed when he happened upon a level that was dedicated to the pleasures of the flesh and witnessed their practice of keeping slaves. It was nothing more than a hive of debauchery filled with the stench of rotting souls. He had to get Duo out of there as quickly as possible before something…but his heart sank when he turned toward a commotion on one of the circular landing pads and saw a skimmer coming in with Duo dangling like bait from beneath. </p>
<p>“Got one!” the burly man rasped triumphantly letting Duo bounce off the landing pad as he put down. “And he’s a purtty one, too!” he laughed while he jerked Duo up by the hair to show off his face. </p>
<p>“Give us a go!” one of the men standing nearby enthused attempting to snatch him away, but the first guy managed to keep his hold on him. </p>
<p>“This ones special,” he growled. “The elites want to ransom his virginity, but once they’ve had their fun…!” he laughed shoving Duo’s face in his crotch while he thrust his hips and everyone who could see laughed uproariously until a fast moving skimmer zoomed by and snatched Duo right out of his hands. “Hey!” he yelled giving chase. “That’s mine!”</p>
<p>It wasn’t difficult to loose him in the chaos that surrounded the sphere, but Hiiro’s heart was still beating frantically when he put them down behind a tower and removed Duo’s gag while he asked, “How did they find you?” </p>
<p>“You didn’t come back,” Duo panted helping him to remove the ropes that tied his wrists. “I was scared.”</p>
<p>“You came looking for me,” Hiiro sighed wishing again for his battle ready partner. “Don’t do that again,” he told him sternly. “I won’t leave you behind. I promise.”</p>
<p>Duo nodded, but couldn’t seem to stop shaking, which made Hiiro take a closer look and rage erupted inside him when he saw bruises along Duo’s neck. “Did they hurt you?” he demanded as he jerked his hair up so he could see the grip marks more clearly. It was the embarrassment in Duo’s gaze that set off the fury in his eyes, but he was quick to explain. </p>
<p>“He didn’t do anything…permanent.”</p>
<p>“Fucking animals,” Hiiro growled. </p>
<p>“I was barely involved,” Duo sighed dejectedly. “He just,” he made a vulgar motion with is hand, “and got off while I watched.”</p>
<p>“Why is everyone around here obsessed with sex?” Hiiro snipped. </p>
<p>“It’s just an intimidation method,” Duo explained. “They want to scare people so they pick the most terrifying, degrading way to torture them and make sure everyone knows about it.”</p>
<p>“But these animals enjoy it,” Hiiro spat. </p>
<p>Much to his surprise the comment made Duo laugh while he reminded him, “With the right person, so do I.”</p>
<p>“It’s not the same thing,” Hiiro insisted checking to see if it was safe to move yet. </p>
<p>“What’s going on?” Duo wondered when the traffic picked up alarmingly, then the entire structure shook when an explosion lit up along the wall. “What’s happening?” he asked fearfully, but then Hiiro had a hold of him and they were zooming along. </p>
<p>“They’re under attack,” Hiiro shouted over the growing den as thousands of skimmers took to the air and whizzed this way and that. </p>
<p>“Relena,” Duo breathed reverently. “It’s Relena! She’s come for us!” he cried happily. “Go back!”</p>
<p>“You’re sure?” Hiiro inquired not at all certain he wanted to be anywhere near the place where those fires were erupting. </p>
<p>“Yes!” Duo crowed as Hiiro turned them around. “There!” he exclaimed pointing at a ship that was hanging half in and half out of the hull while missiles exploded all around it. </p>
<p>Hiiro pulled up and watched in awe when Relena appeared wearing full battle armor as she cut through the onslaught with righteous determination. The sword she had once turned on him was in its full glory sending out waves of plasma that sliced through fifty of the enemy at a time and for the first time in his life he felt the heat of desire while he gazed upon her. </p>
<p>“RELENA!” Duo cried and her blue eyes shifted. A moment later she was moving toward them intent on utterly destroying the one who held her quarry captive until Duo waved frantically and jerked Hiiro’s scarf off. “It’s us!” he screamed and she stood down, but the glare she leveled on Hiiro nearly set his hair on fire. </p>
<p>“MOVE!” she commanded enforcing it with the business end of her blade and Hiiro took off like a shot for the ship. “Get us out of here!” she ordered the moment they were inside, then turned and slapped Hiiro so hard up side the head he bounced off the bulkhead and lay still. </p>
<p>“NO!” Duo gasped diving on him before he could get up. “He saved my life!”</p>
<p>“You could have been killed or worse!” she shouted. </p>
<p>“If it wasn’t for him I would have been!” Duo yelled and the fire in her eyes dimmed enough that she turned her attention to attending their escape. </p>
<p>Hiiro sat for a moment while he rubbed his battered jaw and wondered how things would have turned out if he’d been born in this world instead of his own. </p>
<p>“Sorry,” Duo sighed dropping heavily to the floor. “She can be a little…”</p>
<p>“She’s incredible,” Hiiro interrupted feeling his heart unravel a little bit more. </p>
<p>Duo eyed him suspiciously, but seemed too tired to work it out. He fell asleep almost before he laid down once they were clear leaving Hiiro with some very odd feelings and a whole new list of things he never thought to consider. </p>
<p>“He said you protected him,” Relena commented after a time, but her eyes never left Duo’s slumbering face while she spoke. </p>
<p>“He’s not much of a fighter,” Hiiro shrugged. </p>
<p>Her gaze fell in a way that spoke of great fatigue while she wiped at her eyes and Hiiro was taken with the idea that she looked so different in this world. “I’ve tried to teach him,” she confessed gazing upon his face again. “But he has no talent for it.”</p>
<p>“He said his Hiiro schooled him in case something should happen,” Hiiro commented, but she only scoffed. </p>
<p>“He was more likely trying to scare him into never leaving their bedroom,” she grumbled. </p>
<p>“You don’t seem very fond of him,” Hiiro observed. </p>
<p>Her gaze hardened when she turned it on him and all comfort fled her eyes when she revealed, “He manipulates him with passion and promises of devotion, but he’s no better than the rest of them.”</p>
<p>“You don’t believe in his love.”</p>
<p>“Love?” she snorted. “All he cares about is servicing his own needs. Banging the Prince Royal comes with a very long list of perks and he makes sure to take advantage of them all.”</p>
<p>Hiiro wondered again how his people were getting along with such an individual and the face of the Relena he knew swam into his mind. He looked at the girl sitting next to him and knew with certainty if he had been born in this world she would be the one he wanted by his side. His gaze shifted to where Duo lay silently sleeping and he suddenly understood. </p>
<p>“I need to go home.”</p>
<p>“That’s no longer possible,” Relena informed him while she headed forward to the bridge. </p>
<p>“Why?” Hiiro asked in sudden concern while he followed, but even as she explained he saw the truth of it in the star spangled sky. </p>
<p>“Because, the gate has vanished.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean it’s gone?!” Duo breathed near to hysteria when they informed him once they were back on the mother ship. “It can’t be gone! Where’s Hiiro!?”</p>
<p>“Calm down,” Une soothed. </p>
<p>“What happened?” Hiiro asked evenly. </p>
<p>“It disappeared right after you did,” Treize explained. </p>
<p>“It just…vanished,” Une breathed reverently. </p>
<p>“We had hoped it would reappear when you returned, but…” Treize added letting the thought trail off into the already known. </p>
<p>“Are we any closer to figuring out why it appeared in the first place?” Hiiro wondered. </p>
<p>“Only that it seems to have been a reaction to the synchronized actions of you and your counterpart,” Treize replied. </p>
<p>“Which means that unless our Hiiro decides to behave in exactly the same way at exactly the same time as you there’s no way to open it again,” Relena interjected offering Duo an apologetic glance when he squeaked. </p>
<p>Hiiro thought hard for a moment, then cocked his head, stood and offered Relena his hand, but she merely stared at it as if he’d lost his mind. </p>
<p>“I think I know what he must be feeling,” Hiiro confessed thinking of how she had affected him. “It isn’t the body I fell in love with,” he told her as she cautiously took his hand. “It’s the spirit,” he smiled tugging her close. “And here,” he breathed allowing himself the indulgence of touching her silken cheek, “His spirit resides in you.”</p>
<p>“Hiiro?” Duo whimpered when he gently kissed her lips, but a moment later the air seemed to rip apart and there in the middle of the rift was another Hiiro and Relena staring back at them. “HIIRO!” Duo suddenly crowed rushing forward, but Une tackled him before he could dive through. “Hiiro!” he cried desperately until the scene finally settled in his mind. “Wha…?” he breathed taking in the way Hiiro’s arms surrounded her and the odd expressions on all four of their faces. </p>
<p>“You finally figured it out,” Duo’s lover grinned at his counterpart. </p>
<p>“It’s been a little crazy here,” Hiiro defended. “But it was only a matter of time.”</p>
<p>“Hiiro?” Duo breathed uncertainly while he approached the rift. </p>
<p>“Hello, Love,” he smiled stepping away from the princess. “I’m sorry,” he offered glancing apologetically at the blushing girl. “But it was the only way to get back to you.”</p>
<p>“Duo,” Hiiro greeted when he saw him standing in the shadows as was his way. “Are you all right?”</p>
<p>“Hiiro?” the princess gasped clearly upset that he hadn’t addressed her. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” he told her sincerely. “But I never got a chance to explain.”</p>
<p>“Explain what?” she inquired glancing nervously at Duo. </p>
<p>“I knew it,” Prince Duo’s Hiiro grinned. “You are into him.”</p>
<p>“What?” the princess gasped. </p>
<p>“I wanted to tell you,” Hiiro began, but Duo stepped forward and he forgot about her. </p>
<p>“You did?” he asked sounding somewhat off balance though his eyes were as steady as the sunrise. </p>
<p>“Yes,” Hiiro smiled as he confessed, “I love you…and I always have.”</p>
<p>“Hiiro,” the princess breathed unsteadily while she slowly sank into a chair. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Hiiro offered kneeling by her feet to take her hand. “This isn’t fair to you, but…” he explained glancing back at the worried face of his lover. “I can’t abandon him.”</p>
<p>She looked anything but steady when she glanced at Hiiro, but nodded bravely and he felt a great deal of pride in her for the sacrifice. </p>
<p>“So,” Prince Duo’s Hiiro smiled standing to face himself. “How do we do this?”</p>
<p>“It was a mirror image when we arrived,” Hiiro pointed out as he raised his hands.</p>
<p>His twin did the same and they touched the rift at the same moment while each chuckled nervously as their arms slowly disappeared into one another. </p>
<p>“See you on the other side,” Hiiro smiled as he moved steadily forward, but Hiiro merely replied…</p>
<p>“No, you won’t.”</p>
<p>Their bodies slowly disappeared making everyone involved very nervous for a time before they began to seep from the surface as if they were rising from the skin of a lake. They pulled free at the same time, but the moment he was free the rift winked out and he was left staring into the face of his best friend and partner. </p>
<p>“Still love me?” Duo quipped giving him his out, but he eeped loudly when Hiiro snatched him into his arms and kissed him like there was no tomorrow. When he dared to look he discovered Relena was gone and silently vowed to help her heal, but for the moment he had some deeper sins to make up for. </p>
<p>“I never should have denied you,” he told him while he held him close. </p>
<p>“I’m glad you finally figured it out,” Duo chuckled while he tried to breathe. </p>
<p>“Here,” Hiiro grinned setting him on his feet. “Punch me.”</p>
<p>“What?” Duo laughed uncertainly. “No.”</p>
<p>“Just for fun,” Hiiro grinned. </p>
<p>“I’m not going to…” he began, but recoiled when Hiiro playfully popped him in the jaw. He came up spitting fire and nailed him so hard his head spun around, but then he was hugging him and laughing joyously and all Duo could do was look cluelessly to their friends and hold on tight.</p>
<p>owari :)</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Write it, draw it, create it,  sing it, SHARE IT. ~ Sunhawk 2019</p></blockquote></div></div>
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